Learning To Cherish What We Have

(Minghui.org) I prepared breakfast as usual one morning. When my family came in to eat, my daughter noticed that a few dishes were leftovers from the previous day. She muttered in a low voice, “There are no new dishes today.” I told her, “Whether my cooking is to your taste or not, you should cherish something prepared for you. Even if you eat lobster every day, after a while it won’t be as tasty.” Hearing this, my daughter quietly ate her breakfast.

Everyone finished eating and left. As I started to clean up, I realized that my daughter had acted the same way I used to! When my mother-in-law (a fellow practitioner) was alive, she prepared the meals for the whole family. This gave me time to read the Fa every morning after I practiced the exercises. Afterward I ate the breakfast she prepared. At that time, I didn’t understand that I should cherish her effort. I often complained that my mother-in-law’s cooking was not good. Now that she’s gone and I do all the cooking I realize how much hardship she endured and how much I didn’t appreciate her efforts.

I used to take for granted the care and sacrifice my kind mother-in-law made. I forgot the word “cherish.” I was happy and complacent about my life. I thought that my mother-in-law had little social status and could not do many things. She just cooked the meals, and the food often wasn’t to my standard. Now she’s gone and I understood how much care and attention she gave me. I asked myself, “Why do I only cherish something after I lose it?”

I realized that it isn’t that divine beings don’t give people eternal families, because if they had them, people would not cherish these relationships. If people knew that their relatives would always be there they would likely be even more careless toward their loved ones and not care if they hurt them when they were angry.

It is not that the divine doesn’t give people eternal wealth and power; it is that people may become even more complacent if they know their wealth and power will always be there. It is not that the divine doesn’t give people eternal youth, but if people know they will be young forever, they may become egotistical and feel that older people are incompetent or useless.

People think that their lives are full of misery. The truth is, most people do not know how to cherish their blessings!

So, as a practitioner who claims to be a Dafa disciple, I asked myself, “Do I cherish my cultivation opportunities? Do I really cherish the healthy body and opportunities Master arranged for me?”

Why is it that I only remember that I’m a practitioner when I am embroiled in a tribulation? When I feel happy, like when I earn a large amount of money or feel that my life is satisfactory or that my ability to do something is better than others, do I still remember that I am a practitioner?

When I take a good look at myself, how well do I compare with everyday people in the “degeneration,” “stasis,” and “formation” period in terms of my thoughts, words, and deeds? Have I really achieved the standard of a good person or a better person as measured by the Fa?

Instead of examining my cultivation and my every thought, word, and deed to see if I am practicing diligently, I hope the persecution ends soon.

I should take action, starting with cherishing the sacred title of “Dafa disciple.” I plan to do the things in front of me with a steadfast mind and cultivate myself in accordance with the Fa.